"You're a Runner, right?"

I guess I must have made "real runner status" since it seems like everyone is coming out of the woodwork asking me for advice (HA), training info and of course... sharing some good races I need to do!

I have been going to LA Fitness almost every weekday for the last 8 months or more. One of the sitters in the kids club, Sandra, is the sweetest lady and has named herself "grandma" to the kids in the kids club.  Whenever I come in to drop-off or pick up, she is always reading a story with kids all over her lap or snuggling a fussy baby... she is just one of those ladies that the kids just love!  We have talked, but mostly about the kids, but she has randomly mentioned to me a few times "You have really muscular legs..." and I'm like "umm... Thanks... guess all that running is finally paying off"  Well just yesterday, she starts talking about the Race for the Cure and how she is thinking about doing it and if I am going to do it and I was caught off guard.  I was like "cool, you should... that's awesome" (thinking it was a walk thing).  She caught that I was puzzled and was like "you're a runner, and you do races, right?" "Oh YES, I do..." (DUH)!  We continued to talk about the race for the cure and she asked me about my running and I told her I am mostly just doing half-marathons and she told me about her races that she has done in the past. The next morning, she welcomes me by telling me she was thinking about me this morning on her run...  and then how she wants advice on how to train for a half.  AWESOME... and kinda crazy!

A friend/neighbor that I havent talked to much since they moved sent me a message on Facebook titled "You're a runner, right? Can you help me breathe and run at the same time and not die after 10 minutes cuz I really want to learn how to run distance." FUNNY!  So we are going to meet up next week and do some running together and then I will probably help her make a training schedule and all that...

Hopefully I have some good wisdom to share... even if most of it is from picking other "runners" brains and of course, learning from my mistakes.  It's fun to "be a runner" I always wanted to a runner and now I feel like I actually am one. 

I totally want this (even though I would never wear it!)